Tammy is a Canadian artist who has always enjoyed a wide variety of mediums and styles. She primarily does art journaling, sketchbook illustrations, and watercolour, and has recently been exploring urban sketching. Tammy's main motivations in creating are self-expression and inspiring others.

What is art journaling to you?

Art journaling is an integral part of my life I have no idea what I did before I was journaling. My journals are like my friends, I can write anything, they are a dumping ground, and most importantly vessels for all the things I have done and learned before. All of me flows into these journals, I know the meanings and messages of these pages. They are precious to me.

What does community do for your art?

Community is an incredible place where I am and my art is ok and seen, seen in a way that people outside our community just can’t understand. I love that!

What does your creative space look like? Where do you journal?

I have a wonderfully cosy, inspiring studio. It has every supply known to…Amazon and my local art stores! I adore art supplies and I love to be super organized and that always includes masons jars, chalkboard labels and cute containers from around the house. I journal in there at my giant desk or in the cosy chair, or in the living room in a blanket nest on the big blue couch.

What is your biggest barrier to creating? And how do you overcome that hurdle?

Chronic illnesses are both my biggest barrier and my biggest shove into that stage of showing up, even when we might not feel perfectly ready.

How has Get Messy impacted your creativity?

Get Messy lead me to community! I didn’t know there was a place online that wasn’t all about the “likes” and hearts. I love that messy is a great philosophy, we are still creating, still showing up. That has uplifted me so many times, I just needed to show up for myself.

Tammy is one of the incredible teachers at Get Messy. She shares her art and her heart in the Season of Awe.

You’re invited to embrace the messy middle and join the best art journaling community on the internet.

What journal do you use?

Handmade junk journals in my traveler’s notebooks

What is your one *must have* supply?

fountain pens

What do you make when you don’t know what to make?

arches with collage papers

What is the most important (non-tool) thing to your creative practice?

online class

Advice to new art journalers:

I would like to tell new art journalers to start small. When your pages and journals are small you can finish quicker, you can get information about what you like and don’t have the pressure of a huge page or 99 pages left to finish in a journal you don’t like.